Ilocos Sur sets dev’t programs for 3 years

By Freddie Lazaro 

7SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – The provincial government of Ilocos Sur had set its priority development programs in the next three years.

Ilocos Sur Governor Ryan Luis V. Singson led the provincial elected officials and the head of all departments of the provincial government in the four-day executive-legislative agenda (ELA) and team building at the Aureo Resort in the City of San Fernando, La Union on October 11-14.

The forum aimed to revisit the existing programs of the province and to formulate a doable roadmap geared towards the sustainable growth and development of the province for 2019-2022.

Before the start of the planning session, Singson cited his various significant accomplishments in his two-term as governor of Ilocos Sur.

He institutionalized reforms to capitol employees on prescribed government hours, work ethic, and discipline as mandated in the rules and provisions of the RA 10535, the Philippine Standard Time (PST).

He also initiated the upgrading of the facilities, equipment and services of the Gabriela Silang General Hospital(GSGH) including the district hospitals, the revival of the Multi-Line Food Processing Plant in Santa town, the construction of tobacco-related infrastructures as Ilocos Sur is the country’s top tobacco-producing province, and various programs on tourism, education, and infrastructure.

In formulating the next three-year development plan of Ilocos Sur, the officials were guided on the sustained vision of the provincial government.  The agreed vision of the provincial government is “a productive, business-friendly, and safe heritage province treasured by responsible leaders and empowered citizenry.”

Some of the success indicators on achieving the vision are production and productivity levels; investment trends; healthy and nutrition status; education and literacy levels; disaster-resilient communities; safe environment and natural resources; peace, security and public safety; cultural asset conserved and managed; transparency and accountability; efficient financial management; and productive citizens.

Part of the local cultural conservation is the promotion and sustainability of the cultural practices of the indigenous people in Ilocos Sur. The province has three linguistic ethnicities such as the Bago Tribe, Kankanaey, and Tinggian.

Other innovative programs being pushed by the Ilocos Sur officials in the next three years are the sustainable agriculture-tourism programs; paperless electronic access to all services in the province particularly health services, disaster technology and capability building, the task force Bantay-Kalsada, peace, and order, and ecologically-sustained environment.

Under the Build, Build, Build program of the Duterte administration, Governor Singson is pushing for the modernization of the Vigan airport, the creation of a Special Economic Zone in the province, the development of major ports and seaports, and the coastal highway project that aims to decongest local traffic.

“All these priorities are also geared towards achieving the hashtag of Ilocos Sur: #I.SURE2022 which stands for Ilocos Sur United, Ready and Empowered 2022,” said Singson.